Fairly late into Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story, comedian Maria Bamford goes on a radio show where the idea is brought up that she’s the “next big thing.” It’s particularly funny to the host and to Bamford, as Bamford states that she’s been the “next big thing” for most of her career, but it’s hilarious to us watching the film, who have just seen decades of incredible work and talent in every facet of Bamford’s legacy.
Even after all these years of work, it’s not that Bamford should necessarily be the next big thing, but rather, it’s almost shocking Bamford isn’t more widely-known and more appreciated for her hilarious stand-up career, her many appearances in everything from Arrested Development to starring in her own show, Lady Dynamite, and even appearing in Target ads and viral online series. Is Bamford always the next big thing, or is she just so brilliant that she always seems ahead of her time in the way that she mixes extremely dark and self-deprecating topics with a sense of humor that makes you laugh so hard, your side hurts? In Paralyzed by Hope, directors Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley give an in-depth look at the life and career of Bamford and show why she’s the current best thing.
‘Paralyzed by Hope’ Gives a Thorough Look at Maria Bamford’s Life
At the beginning, it’s very clear that Apatow knows Bamford is wary about making a documentary about her life. Bamford fully admits it’s okay with her if this movie falls through, and Apatow jokingly brings Bamford her pay for the day’s work, almost as though he thinks this might be the only time she agrees to be part of this. But Apatow knows comedy greatness, as he’s shown time and time again in his movies and TV shows, and it’s obvious that he thinks Bamford is just the best. Later on, when we see clips of Lady Dynamite, Apatow plays himself as a filmmaker who desperately wants Bamford to sign off on a movie about her life. She jokes that she never wants to be that famous, and it’s a moment that seems extremely based in the reality of their relationship.
Over the last decade or so, Apatow has become quite an impressive documentarian, focusing on topics that he’s obviously passionate about. In 2016, he co-directed the 30 for 30 installment Doc & Darryl, followed by the extremely underrated music doc, May It Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers, and miniseries about comedy heroes with The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling and George Carlin’s American Dream. His co-director, Berkeley, also has a great history of comedy docs, including 2014’s Harmontown, 2017’s Gilbert, and Group Therapy, which gathered comedians like Tig Notaro, Mike Birbiglia, Nicole Byer, and others, to talk about comedy and mental health. Because of their past work and their obvious affinity for Bamford, this duo is the perfect combination to tell Bamford’s story.
Impersonating her family has always been a major part of her act, so Paralyzed by Hope naturally begins with her childhood, growing up in Duluth, Minnesota. Even from an early age, Bamford talks about how she would often imagine her own suicide, and would worry about doing things that she didn’t want to do. Diving into Bamford’s history with mental health issues could’ve made this a difficult watch, without a doubt, yet the way Apatow and Berkeley balance these revelations with Bamford’s stand-up act, where she jokes about these exact same things, shows what makes joking about these experiences so important for a person dealing with these struggles.
‘Paralyzed by Hope’ Shows Why Maria Bamford Is One of the Greats
Paralyzed by Hope also shows how Bamford has found success by following her own path and her own interests, rather than following a conventional way to stardom. She started as a stand-up act with a violin when she moved to L.A., she did a stand-up special where she performed just for her parents, and even her online series and Lady Dynamite didn’t shy away from blending her sense of humor with discussions of mental illness. Bamford does things her own way, even if it might not seem unusual. For example, as part of The Comedians of Comedy tour, which featured Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, and Brian Posehn, all on their way to huge stardom, Bamford would mostly do her own thing and not be a part of the group. Yet as Oswalt says in an interview, it was her wild sets that made the tour a success, and her act spread through word of mouth as they toured the country.
Bamford is extremely open about her past and career in Paralyzed by Hope, as everything is on the table, from her occasionally bizarre relationship with her parents, how her comedy has impacted her family, and her attempts to solve her own issues through therapy, groups, and clinics. Apatow and Berkeley also find interview subjects who deeply love and care about Bamford and are huge fans of her as well. Galifianakis pinpoints how beautifully she takes her childhood experiences and turns them into comedy, Stephen Colbert states that Bamford is his favorite comedian, and even Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos seems willing to greenlight anything Bamford wants to do simply because of how great he finds her. The love for Bamford is bursting out of this documentary, both in front of and behind the camera.
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In just under two hours, Apatow and Berkeley truly do their best to cover every facet of Bamford, and it is an impressive document of her greatness. Even when the film explores Bamford losing both of her parents, as well as her and her husband having to reckon with the Altadena fires, Paralyzed by Hope adds just the right amount of comedy, without undercutting the pain and depression underneath so much of it. Wisely, the film never tries to treat comedy as a catch-all salve for the issues Bamford has to deal with, but rather, she uses comedy as a way to deal with and to discuss her issues in a way that speaks to her voice and brilliance. If it were anyone else talking about OCD, suicidal tendencies, and anxiety, all while using multiple voices, it probably wouldn’t work. But through the lens of Bamford and what she’s able to do as a comedian, it creates some of the funniest pieces of work you’ll ever hear.
It’s that ability to meld the pain and humor that Bamford, Apatow, and Berkeley all have that makes Paralyzed by Hope more than just a standard biopic documentary. Instead, it shows just how important comedy is even in the darkest of circumstances, making your way to the beat of your own drum, and that Bamford should be one of the biggest comedians in the world — even though it doesn’t seem like that’s what she’d want anyway. Simply put: Paralyzed by Hope is a loving tribute to a great talent.
Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
- Release Date
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January 22, 2026
- Runtime
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116 Minutes
- Director
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Neil Berkeley, Judd Apatow
- Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley clearly love Maria Bamford and know how to present her greatness.
- Bamford’s comedy is hilarious, and melds tragedy and humor in tremendous ways.
- Paralyzed by Hope is incredible thorough in exploring every facet of Bamford’s life and career.
